Automatic liquid-dispensing machine



March 11, 1930. RE. COLLINS 1,749,970

AUTOMATIC LIQUID DISPENSING MACHINE Fild Feb. 15. 1928 I Q-nu'enkwR.E.C0llins.

Patented Mar. 11, 1930 UNITEDVTSTATE'S PATENT OFFICE,

ROBERT E. COLLINS, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOB TWENTY-FIVE TOCONSTAN'I'INE G. CHUMOS, OF TOPEKA, KANSAS Application tiled February1a, 1928. Serial No. 254,698.

The present invention relates to improvements in automatic liquiddispensing machines, and has more particular reference to a valvearrangement therefor.

5 An object of the invention is to provide a device particularly usefulfor measuring and delivering gasoline through automaticmechanisnnwhereby an attendants or station operators time is conserved.

providing an improved automatic mechanism' involving coordinate valvesfor conitially for the quantity of gasoline desired by the customer, andthe mechanism will carry out the purpose automatically withoutfurtherattention on the part of the operator.

A further object of the present invention is -to provide a simplyconstructed, compact valve casing, internal valvemechanism, an externalcontrol, so situated and arranged as to be released by the action of theoverflow gasoline in the measuring vessel. v

4 With the foregoing and other objects in. view, the invention will bemore fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointedout inthe claims appended hereto. v

' In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views, J

The figure shows a side elevation, with parts broken away and partsillustrated in section, of a gasoline measuring and distrib-' utingmachine constructed according to the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, 10 indicates the ground lineor surface of i A a gasoline filling station conventional forautomobiles. Numeral-11 indicates upright adapted to surround themechanism and prevent unauthorized persons from tampering with theinterior arrangement of its parts; it being understood that the fragmentof the housing 12 which is shown is continued upon all sides of themachine.

Another object of the invention residesin:

' i above the supports or legs, and 12 a housing which is Numeral 13indicates a cylindrical container ormeasuring device mounted upon thesupport or legs 11, said container preferably being formed oftransparent glass. 14 and 15 respectively indicate the bottom and toplof the member 13 and 16 indicates a vent ole .cap. The members 14 and 15are preferably formed of metal. 17 indicates a graduated scale formedupon the side wall of the member 13, its graduations denoting gallons ofgasoline.

Numeral 18 indicates a storage tank for containing compressed air, whichis supplied by a compressor engine run by a motor, the latter twoelements not being shown. 19 indicates a conduit pipe adapted to conductthe air from the compressor engine to the tank 18, the latter beingpreferably placed ound. ,20 indicates a pipe leading from t 1e pressuretank 18 upwardly for purposes later described. The pipe 20 is providedwith a pressure reducing valve 21 shown in dotted lines which is adaptedto reduce the pressure of the storage tank to a prelssure, of say,thirty pounds to the square 1nc Numeral 22 indicates a pipe leading fromthe mechanism above the ground to a small auxiliary tank 23, which isplaced below the ground. The upper ends of the pipes 20 and 22 are adated to have commumcation with each other y opening a valve 24. c

A pipe 25 is connected with the bottom of the auxiliary tank 23 and isconnected to the bottom of the measuring device 13, and is provided witha check valve 26. A pipe 27 is attached 'to the bottom of the measuringdevice and is in communication with an outlet pipe 28 at desired timesand at other times said communication is cut off by means of a valve 29.The pipe 28 is in communication with a flexible hose 30 which isprovided with a nozzle 31.

The measuring device 13 is in communication at all times with anover-flow pipe 32.

. The pipe 32 extends downwardly and is in Within the over-flow pipe 32a bucket 34 is placed. The bucket is provided with a plubucket willgradually seep through or leak through said apertures. The bucket issuspended upon a wire 36 which extends through the overflow pipe 32. Thewire 36 is further provided with a spring 37 for normally maintainingthe bucket 34in a raised or upwardposition. A valve 29 is provided forcutting off the flow of liquid from the member 13 to the hose 30. p I

About the overflow pipe 32 is placed a housing 39 which is attached tothe bottom 14 of the measuring device 13. The housing 39 encircles theoverflow pipe 32 in a manner whereby leakage of gasoline from the member13 will be prevented. The interior diameter of the housing 39 is largerthan the exterior diameter of the overflow pipe 32 and in the space thusformed a tubular adjustable member 40 is loosely positioned whereby itis adapted to have vertical reciprocating movement. A rod 41 is attachedto the bottom of the tubular member 40 and extends outwardly of thehousing 39 and downwardly, leakage atthis point being prevented by meansof a packing ring 42. Upon the lower end of the rod 41 and exteriorly ofthe sides of the housing 12, a handle 43 is provided. An adjustableindicating finger 44 is mounted upon the rod 41. At any convenientpoint, such as upon the side wall of the device or a leg thereof, anindicating scale 45 is provided. The graduations of the scale 45 cor--respond with the graduations of the scale 17 formed upon the measuringvessel 13. Adjacent the scale 45 lugs are providedas shown at 46 wherebyupon the placement of the in dicating finger 44 upon said lugs, theadjustable tubular overflow pipe 40 will be held and prevented fromdownward movements.

A housing 47 for the valves 24' and 29 is provided. The housing isprovided with a c amber 48 which is in communication at all times withthe pipe 20 and a second chamber 49 is likewise in communication withthe pipe 22. The valve 24 is attached to its stem 50 by any suitablemeans and it will be understood that when the stem 50 is moved outwardlythat communication will be established between the pipes 20 and 22.v Avent 51 is provided upon the valve housing 47 whereby communication withthe atmosphere.

is at all times established with an interior chamber 52 of the valve.Communication between the chambers 49 and 52 may be prevented at desiredtimes by means of a valve 53 which is slidably and loosely mounted uponitsvalve stem 50. It will be noted that upon a movement of the valvestem 50 that the valve 53 will seat and cut off communication betweenthe chambers 49 and 52 since the valve 53 is provided with a spring 54which when the stem 50 is moved outwardly, is of greater resistance thanthirty pounds, air pressure. The spring 54 is provided with a pin orkeeper 55, said pin being mounted through the stem 50.

The valve29 is adjustably mounted upon lever is provided with a lug 62adapted to.

register at desired times with the lug 58 upon the valve stem 50 andprevent the return of said valve stem at desired times.

The reasonfor providing an annular lug 58 is so that the valve stem 50may have 1'0 tary movements, if desired, and at the same time the lugs58 and 62 will be adapted to engage at all times.

In operation, reservoir tank 33 is filled with gasoline or partiallyfilled with gasoline which is adapted to move downwardly by gravity intothe auxiliary tank 23 through a valve port 63. The valve 64 will bepressed downwardly, thereby permitting the flow, but will 'be detainedagainst-a large movement by means of the lugs 65. The valve 64, beinloosely mounted, is adapted to be closed by the action of compressed airas later described. The dotted line 66 indicates the normal level of thegasoline within the tank 33, the auxiliary tank, 23 and the bottomportion of the pipe 25, it being understood that the capacity of theauxiliary tank 23 is slightly larger than the capacity in gallons of themeasuring device 13.

The operator, desiring that ten gallons of gasoline or any portionthereof be delivered to an automobile, may move the rod 41 upwardly andrest the finger 44 upon the heretofore described lug, thereby adjustingthe over-flow pipe 40 so that when ten gallons of gasoline are admittedinto the measuring device 13 that the overflow pipe will function tolead any excess amount of gasoline above the selected amount to thereser-' voir tank 33 through the pipe 32. The indicating scale 17 has nofunction if the scale 45 is used. The operator now passes the nozzle 31of the hose 30 into the container tank of an automobile, not shown, andnext pulls the handle 57 outwardly whereupon it will be detained in anoutward position by means of the lug 62 engaging with the lug 58 of thestem 50. At this time the operator may leave the machinefor other dutiessince nomore and no less than ten gallons of gasoline, or the select dam u w be de ivered to the or use the time for filling the'radiator ofthe automobile with water, etc.

By the movement of the stem 50 air pressure from the chamber -18 isadmitted to the pipe 22, said pressure immediately causin the valve 64to close, said valve being locate between the tanks 23 and 33. Said airpressure will cause the gasoline or liquid within the tank 23 to beforced upwardly into the measuring device 13, said upward movement ofgasoline will continue until its level has reached the top of theoverflow pipe whereupon it will overflow into the pipe 40- and becomeautomatically cut off by the following described devices.

The overflow liquid will descend the pi e 32 'and a portion thereof willlodge in t e bucket 34:; the increased weight thereby disengaging thelugs 58 and 62, whereupon the spring 59 causes the valve stem to have areturn movement, said movement will close the valve 24 and cut off theair pressure and will automatically open the valve 53 wherebythepressure in the pipe 22 will be removed through the vent 51 andthereby permitting more or a new supply of gasoline to fill theauxiliary tank 23 from the tank 33. Said movement of the valve stem 50will simultaneously with the above described operations, cause the valve29 to open thereby establishing communication between the measuringdevice 13 and the automobile through 1 the nozzle 31; whereupon theliquid will flow from the measuring vessel 13 to the automobile untilthe'former becomes empty, the vent 16' permitting the latter describedmovement of the liquid, and the check valve 26 preventing flow to thetank 23.

I do not wish to be restricted to the size,

form and proportions of the various parts, and obviously changes couldbe made in the construction herein described without departing from thespirit of the invention, it

being only necessary that such changes fall within the scope of theappended claims. What is claimed is 1. A gasoline dispensing machinecomprising a measuring vessel in communication with a source oftheliquid supply and having an outlet for dispensing the gasoline and an7 overflow, a source of compressed air in communication with thegasoline source for lifting the fuel to the measuring vessel, anadjustable measuring device associated with the overflow, valve meansfor cont-rolling the outlet from the measuring vessel, a second valvemeans for controlling the supply of compressed air to the gasolinesource, and a single operating means connecting both said valve meansfor alternate opening and closing, and latch means for said operatingmeans positioned to be released upon movement of the li uid through theoverflow.

2. A liquid ispensing device comprising a measuring vessel incommunication with a source of liquid supply and having an outlet sourceof liquid for delivering same to the measuring vessel, valve means forcontrolling the flow of the compressed medium to the source of liquidsupply and the evacuation of such medium, other valve means for openingand closing the outlet, a common operating means for connecting bothsaid valve means for conjoint operation and for alternate opening andclosing, and latch means for holding the'operating means with the outletvalve closed until the overflow of liquid in the measuring vessel.

3. A liquid dispensing device comprising a measuring vessel incommunication with a source of liquid supply and having an outlet and anoverflow, a source of fluid medium under pressure in communication withthe source of liquid for delivering same to the measuring vessel, valvemeans for controlling the flow of the compressed medium to the sourceand'the evacuation of such medium, other valve means for opening andclosing the outlet, a commonoperating means for connecting both saidvalve means for closed, a bucket having a perforated bottom movablysituated in the overflow, and coupled to said latch-, 'and yieldablemeans for holding the latch normally in the engaged position.

4. A liquid measuring and dispensing device comprising a measuringvessel in communication with a source of liquid supply and having anoutlet and an overflow, a valve controlling the outlet, a valve stemfixedly coupled to said valve, :1 second valve fixedly coupled to thesame valve stem, a source of compressed medium for-raising the liquidfrom the source to the measuring vessel under control of the secondmentioned valve, a handle on said valve stem, latch means for holdingthe valve stem with the first valve closed and the second valve open,and means in the overflow coupled to release said latch means on themovement of liquid through the overflow. I

5. A liquid, dispensing device comprising a measuring vessel incommunication with a source of liquid supply and having an outlet and anoverflow, a valve casing in communication with'the outlet and having anoutlet valve seat therein, an outlet valve adapted to close against saidseat, a stem to which said valve is secured, a second valve seat in thecasing, a second valve rigidly fixed to said stem for closing againstsaid second valve seat, a source of compressed fluid in communicationwith the source of liquid under control of said second valve, and aconjoint operating means for said valve stem whereby the outlet valvewill be closed when the second valve is open and whereby the outletvalve will beopened when the second mentioned valve is closed.

6. A liquid dispensing device comprising a measuring vessel incommunication with a source of liquid suppl and having an outlet and anoverflow, a va ve casing in communication with the overflow and havingadjoining chambers with an outlet valve seat in one chamber and opposedvalve'seats in the adjoinin an outlet valve for said outlet valve seat,a valve stem for said valve, a second valve rigidly secured to saidvalve stem for closing against one of the opposed seats, a source ofcompressed fluid in communication with the source of liquid supply underthe control of the second valve, a slidable and yieldable third valve onthe valve stem for closing against the other opposed seat and actingalternately with the second valve for evacuating the compressed fluidpressure when the second valve is closed, and a common operating meansfor said valve stem.

7. A liquid dispensing device comprising a measuring vessel incommunication with a source of liquid supply and having an outlet and anoverflow, a valve casing in communication with the overflow and havingadjoining chambers with an outlet valve seat in one chamber and opposedvalve seats in the adjoining chamber with a vent to atmosphere, an outet valve for said outlet valve seat, a valve stem for-said valve, asecond valve rigidly secured to said valve stem for closing against oneof the opposed seats, a source of compressed fluid in communication withthe sourceof liquid supply under the control of the second valve, athird valve slidably mounted on said valve stem and adapted to close aainst the other alternate seat only when't e second valve is open, and acoil spring carried fixedly at one end by said stem and valve at theother end. 7

In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my signature.

ROBERT E. COLLINS.

chamber with a vent to atmosphere,

ieldably bearing against the third-

